Great day in the Morning

Randy picked me up at Greg's office and we headed of to CU at Boulder. My Granddaughter had just been interviewed by a group similar to Dr.s without Borders. She would volunteera in Ecuador next summer if accepted. They seemed to think that she had no many advance courses and labs to find the time to volunteer.
My Granddaughter then took on a tour of the Howard Hughes well funded research lab. Phd's and graduate students are permitted do research there. My Granddaughter is the lone college freshman in the lab,She's on a first name basis with many of the D's

Greg and Lisa's family

I joined Lisa, Greg, Sam and Benjamin for a Chinese dinner. It was delightful. I promise that this is the last post of the day.T'his dinner occurred about 37 years after this picture was taken of now Dr. Greg,D.C.

Thanks to Court, I am, among all men, most blessed.

Fireworks and Greg

Greg was not featured in the last article because he wasn't even a twinke in his father's eye. That twinkle appeared when we when we were camping with the Craigs at Borrrego Hot Springs in California.
My cousin Selma Sundem was married to the Rich family member in Sioux Falls, S.D.They owned the Sioux Falls Fireworks company.
Greg was in high school and I called Mr.Rich and he agreed to transport a trailer load of fireworks to Wheatland, Wyoming. (spelling) Greg and I hooked up a two wheel trailer to the 74 Chyrsler New Yorker and met Mr. Rich and downloaded the fireworks to our trailer. Greg set up a fireworks stand at 29th and Lincoln on the Beacon Motel property. I don't know if he made any money but it was a great experience for him and also for me. The other person in the picture is one of his friends that I cannot identify. At that time we also had a surprise visit from my nephew, Gary Rye, mentioned in my earlier posts.

Levity-by royalty yet!

We traveled fromCalifornia many summers to spend time with farm friendly cousins and relatives. Our children coming from afar were treated like royalty. Pictured here are Angela, Randy and Dan with cousin,Emily Helgeson.

The question is, did our children always act like royalty? I know there were stories of jumping in the hay loft and swinging merrily from the ropes.I know that South Dakota was known for as powerful fireworks as those from Mexico. I know that we as parents who would be condemmed as unworthy today for letting the chhildren fire off fireworks in GrandmaRye's back yard, blowing tin cans high in the air. We have that evidence captured on movie film. I only have one direct source of information to verify these goings on. I picked that up from Helen Rye last summer in Renner. Ramona confided in me that she had heard rumors of these goings on. But royalty? I was shocked, yes, shocked to my very inner being. How come I was the last to know?
It is alleged that several of the cousins acting in unison would place large firecrackers in fresh cow pies, lighting them at the same time and then running like hell!

Little man so spick and span
Where were you
when the hit the fan?

Royalty indeed!!!!!!!

I read somewhere,

" Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other's lives...Good people who are always "there", who can be relied upon in small important ways. People who teach us, bless us , encourage us, support us, uplift us in the dailiness of life. We never tell them. I don't know why, but we don't.
And of course we fill that role ourselves. There are those who depend on us, watch us, learn from us, take from us. And we never know. Don't sell yourself short. You may never have prooff of your importance but you are more impoartant thanyou think."

Mother Dear

Angela recited this poem for a Mother--
Daughter's banquet at the Lutheran church on Magnolia avenue,Riverside,California

MOTHER DEAR-unknown

Dear Mother, you are part of me...And I am part of you...
And you are part of everything...I ever think or do..And out
of all the parts of life...I am or hope to be...I need to tell
you,Mother dear ...you are the best in me...you are
the sweetest of my songs...the truest of my friends...you are
the sunshine in my heart...the dream that never ends...You
are the hand that comforts me...the smile that lifts me up...
And you are all the sugar at...the bottom of my cup...Oh,
Mother dear, there are some things...I can not write or say...
But all my love and gratitude..Go out to you today.

The bows....children as living arrows,Dan,cont.

(Dan,1967,10years old.)


Dan's letter of July, l987........

Dad,

I wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed the tapes containing our old family traveling songs. I remember how many good times we had as a family singing these songs. So many of the songs are from a time when life was much harder and cruel. Thanks to the good home you and Mom provided us and the development of our counryr, we never knew ofsuch harshness and cruelty. But through these songs we learrned caring and compassion at the same time.These qualities are exemplified by you, Dad.
You are so caring and sensitive that's what makes you so special. Sometimes I wish you were not so sensitive because you get hurt being so sensitive at times. But I know you know no other way. Through your and Mom's caring each of us kids have or are coming into our own -each with a promising and happy future. Aand even when we got into trouble or let you down you stilll kept your faith in us. Always know that us kids are here to help you and Mom out also. If you are ever in need please let me know. The gifts and love yuo and Mom have bestowed on me I can never hope to repay. Thanks for all the good memories of

THE RAMBLING RYE'S FROM RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

Love,

Dan

Y:ou have my son, you have!

GIVING-THE PROPHET-GIBRAN

"See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver,and an instrument of giving,
For in truth it is life that gives unto
life--while you, who deem yourself a giver,
are but a witness.

And you recievers--and you are all
recievers--assume no weight of gratitude,
lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon
him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on
gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is
to doubt his generosity who has the free-
hearted earth for mother ,and God for
father.

up,up and away

I flew into Denver from Phoenix(generosity of Dan, Brigid and Summer) and arrived at Dr.Greg's office at noon just in time go to lunch with Greg and his son, Benjamin, who just turned one year old on September 26th. He is one great person as is his brother, Sam, now in first grade. (Liza is their proud Mother!)
Sam called the office and shared with me that at a school assembly on this day he recieved an honored recogniton for work that he has turned in. He was the only student honored as this day.I told him that his scholarly pursuits were placing him in the footsteps of his cousin,Court Rye,( Court created this blog site for me and I am eternally indebted to him. Yet, this morning I had the audacity to wake him before 10'clock on a Saturday morning at CU to troubleshoot and lead this blind blogger onward and upward. Sam also follows in the footsteps of Court's sister, My Granddaughter , an ispirational youth. I glad that I won't have to compete with the likes of them. Randy is the proud father of Court and My Granddaughter .
I joined Randy in Ft.Collins and we went to see the Poudre River irregulars (Dixieland Jazz) and that place was really jumping.
The self depricating group's spokesman put it best when he said; No one every stands so tall as when stoops so low as to help a starving muscian.
Later, Randy's wife, Ellen, joined us and we went to dinner at an Irish Pub where young people were entertaining the audience with Irish folk dances. Whoever said Irish need not apply had it all wrong.
I believe this was a picture taken for the Hope Lutheran Church book in about 1968 and each of them have traveled an exciting and rewarding journey since that day. And to them, one and all, we say, GOD SPEED!

THANKS AGAIN,COURT !!!!

The grand piano

The grand piano is now in the Mcdonald's care center in Denver.Angela played in a recital at the Mission Inn in Riverside.The other children took lessons for a while and we couldn't part with the piano by selling so we donated it to theMcDonald house.
At Christmas time one Denver TV station showed various clips incuding one of patients and their loved ones standing around the piano and singing Christmas carols.

You are the arrows-Dan, continued

Notice with such loving care these children were dressed. It is evidently an Easter basket picture.

Dan's story is also Randy and Angela'a story.
Thanks to Randy's creative son, Court, I am able to share these images with you.
Forty-four years ago they brought joy and happiness to us and they still bring joy and happpiness to their families. The memories of Angela are also deep and moving.